1. Field Of The Invention
The invention relates to surge regulator valves having an integral tap for piercing an otherwise sealed pipe for the control of water-hammer in pipes.
2. Background Art
U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,206 discloses a piercing valve for recharging a hermetically sealed unit. The valve includes body means attachable to a line of the unit, sealing means between the body and the line, a bore extending through said body, and an external threaded area on the body coaxial with the bore. There is passage means in the body intersecting the bore and piercing means positionable in the bore and having sealing means thereon for controlling communication between the line and the passage means. There is a thrust cap threadedly connected to the threaded area of the body and having locking slot means thereon. The slot means has portions of different diameter. There is means integral with the piercing means including a groove and head means of unequal diameter at opposite ends of the groove enabling assembly of the piercing means in the thrust cap locking slot means in one aligned position and precluding disassembly of the thrust cap and the piercing means in another aligned position in which other position the cap is laterally displaced with respect to the axis of the piercing means. The thrust cap can be threadedly mounted on the body.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,240,226 discloses a self-tapping service valve fitting for plastic mains. It includes a service fitting having a tube having a counterbored through bore and a lateral outlet in the inner, larger bore of the through bore. The fitting has an outlet tube extending from the lateral outlet and an arcuate saddles through which the inner, larger bore of the through bore extends from the through bore tube. The arcuate saddle is complementary to a plastic main to which it is to be secured, an arcuate saddle clamp. There is means for securing the saddle clamp to the through bore saddle to embrace the plastic main therebetween and secure the fitting to the plastic main, an O-ring receiving groove in the main contacting surface of the through bore saddle about the through bore therethrough and an O-ring in the groove providing an effective seal between the fitting and the plastic main about the through bore. The through bore has an interior thread extending inwardly of the outer, smaller bore thereof. There is a complementary threaded plug in the threaded outer, smaller bore of the through bore. There is a circular cutting knife coaxially secured to the inner end of the plug for projecting out of the inlet end of the bore at its inner end for cutting a hole in the main, concentric with the bore, by screwing the plug theretoward. The circular knife has a cylindrical interior surface extending inwardly from its circular cutting edge for receiving and trapping the coupon cut from the main therewithin. The interior cylindrical surface of the circular knife is counterbored. The larger bore thereof is more remote from the circular cutting edge. The outer surface of the cutting knife is beveled toward its cutting edge. The cutting edge is a projection of the interior cylindrical surface. The through bore tube also has an exterior thread extending from its outer end, a complementary threaded cap screwed thereover. The cap has an O-ring receiving groove in its tube end annulus engaging surface, and an O-ring in the cap groove providing an effective seal between the cap and the tube end annulus. The means for securing the through bore saddle and the saddle clamp comprising lips extending laterally from adjacent edges of the through bore saddle laterally from adjacent edges of the through bore saddle and the saddle clamp. The lips have aligned apertures. There is bolt means secured through the aligned apertures.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,075 discloses a spring retractable line piercing valve which includes an upper housing and a lower housing. The lower housing is fastenable to said upper housing to define a transverse bore therebetween. There is a valve enclosure which is located on the upper housing and has an open top with a ring gasket disposed circumferentially of the opening. A piercing valve is disposed within the valve enclosure and above the bore, and is depressable into the bore. There is a spring which urges the piercing valve away from the bore into sealing contact with the ring gasket. A sealing cap is threadedly engageable with the valve enclosure. There is a removable depressor pin which is removably threaded to the sealing cap in co-axial alignment with the piercing valve for bearing against and depressing the piercing valve axially toward the bore to pierce a line tube therein upon threaded advancement of the sealing cap. The removable depressor pin is in sealing engagement with the ring gasket. There is selective flow communication with the tapped line through the valve enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,753 discloses a diaphragm chamberdamping device having a dished shell below the diaphragm which cooperates with a separating wall to form a pair of chambers within the liquid compartment while providing for a flow of fluid between the two chambers. One chamber communicates with an inlet pipe while the other chamber communicates with an outlet pipe so that fluid can be passed through the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,584 discloses a valve which has upper and lower block portions that are adapted to receive corresponding portions of any desired short straight length of the pipeline. A screw tap bearing a piercing needle is provided to initially tap the pipeline. The hole created thereby is allowed to freely communicate with a port access inlet passage provided in the top block portion when the screw is backed off. A first seal is provided around the pierced hole at the pipeline/top block interface. A second seal is provided between the screw tap and the top block interface at the point that the screw tap is externally accessible. A third seal is provided by way of and within an external screw-on cap covering the port access inlet passageway when not otherwise being used. Thus, the valve can be essentially permanently attached to the pipeline, ensuring proper initial registration of the tap and pipeline and subsequent capping of the tapped hole to ensure the most minimal gas leakage from the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,978,881 discloses a valve assembly for use on a refrigerating pipe line to gain access to the refrigerant so that it can be removed or replaced without disassembly of the piping while repairs are being made. The assembly is a compact structure comprising a single integral body member having a stem within which is a movable pierce valve and having a transverse threaded nipple forming an internal fluid passageway controlled by the adjustment of the movable pierce valve. The valve is in non-removable position within said body and is sealed to the body by an O-ring placed in an undercut on the stem of the valve. Interchangeable clamp plates secure the pipe line to the body adjacent the point of the pierce valve. Each of two interchangeable plates has two sets of grooves so that four sizes of tubes can be accommodated by interchanging and adjusting the two clamp plates.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,246 discloses a line tap valve having a body portion integrally formed with opposed leg portions defining a saddle for the reception of a line to be tapped and bendable into embracing relation about the line to retain it securely in place during soldering or brazing. The line tap valve further includes piercing needle mechanism separable from the body portion during the soldering or brazing operation, but adapted to be permanently assembled thereto after such soldering or brazing by a body screw-on cap and associated flare mechanism operative to simultaneously pierce the line and swage a retaining ring for securing the piercing needle mechanism in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,559 discloses a line tap valve for tapping refrigerant lines of refrigeration and air conditioning systems. The line tap valve has a housing which is adapted to be clamped to a refrigeration line. The housing has two non-aligned, communicating valve bodies or chambers, a line piercing valve in one valve body or chamber and a service valve in the other valve body or chamber. The line piercing valve and the service valve are independently operable, to control the flow into and out of the refrigerant line. The service valve is removable and replaceable without refrigerant leakage when the line piercing valve is in the closed position. The line piercing valve is retractable from the refrigerant line to provide an unimpeded flow therethrough when the service valve is in the closed condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,459 discloses a valve assembly adapted to be emplaced upon a pipe comprises a housing having a bore extending perpendicular to the pipe to which the valve is to be connected and serving as a guide passage for a drill adapted to penetrate the pipe wall. The housing is formed with a transverse slot through which a slider can be inserted to block escape of fluid from the passage upon withdrawal of the drill. The control member is then mounted in this passage and can be used to open and close the valve which communicates with the pipe to which the valve connects via the aforementioned slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,214 discloses a piercing valve comprises upper and lower blocks having, respectively, lower and upper mating surfaces. Each mating surface has a positionally corresponding generally linear groove extending thereacross. The upper block has a cylindrical bore extending vertically therethrough and intersecting the grooved lower surface thereof. An upper bore section is adapted for receiving screw threads, with the topmost section of the bore having a diameter less than that of the threaded upper section thereof. The lower section of the bore is of a diameter larger than that of the upper section. The upper block further has an access port extending therethrough and intersecting the bore along the lower section thereof, a cylindrical piercing needle, and a cylindrical unitary seal. The piercing needle has an upper threaded portion having a radial diameter suitable for engaging the threads of the bore, a coaxial central portion having a decreasing radial diameter, and a coaxial lower portion having means for tapping an access hole. A cylindrical seal having a gas or liquid communication therethrough so as to permit the communication of the gas or liquid from a point external to the mated upper and lower portions of the block into the region defined by the grooves thereof is coaxially interposed between the valve and the inner bore surface of the upper fixtures. The seal further extends above the intersection point of the access port with the bore and is of a length to make sealing contact with the surface of the pipeline being pierced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,011 discloses a device for forming a branch connection in a pipe. The device includes a saddle member having a fluid passage in it and arranged to be secured to the surface of the pipe arranged to be secured to the surface of the pipe with an end of the passage closed by the pipe surface when the saddle member is placed thereon. The saddle member has a groove therein for longitudinal reception of a portion of the length of the pipe. There is sealing means for forming a fluid-tight seal between the surface of the pipe and the adjacent surface of the saddle member around the end of the passage. There is a backing member having a groove therein for longitudinal reception of a portion of the length of the pipe. The groove in the backing member opposes the groove in the saddle member with the portion of the pipe received in the grooves. There is means to urge the saddle member and backing member toward one another with the portion of the pipe received in the opposed grooves. There is a cutting element carried by one of the members and capable of rotation relative to such member about an axis transverse to the pipe axis. The cutting element has a cutting edge offset from the axis of rotation. The cutting element is further capable of simultaneous movement toward the axis of the pipe causing the cutting edge to progressively cut through the wall of the pipe in a circular path. The member includes means to depress a portion of the pipe in the path once its saddle member and backing member are urged together so that as the cutting edge progressively cuts around the path it will cut from a beginning at one point on the path to an end at another point on the path spaced from the first point, with a relatively small part of the wall uncut to form a partcircular tongue joined to the remainder of the pipe wall by a narrow web between the points. The cutting element is capable, on further movement toward the pipe axis, of depressing the tongue inwardly while leaving it attached to the remainder of the pipe by the narrow web.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,624 discloses a line piercing valve assembly having a transverse cylindrical bore for the reception of a length of tubing to be pierced and an interior recess open to the outside disposed within which is a piercing needle and valve member depressable into the bore for flow communication with the pierced or tapped line. The piercing needle and valve member normally are spring urged away from the length of tubing into sealing contact with a valve seat. A depressor pin is removably attached to the upper end of the piercing needle and valve member for depressing it sufficiently to pierce the tubing upon screw-threading advancement of an internally-threaded cap enclosing the open end of the interior recess. The interior bottom wall of the cap abuttingly engages the outer end of the pin for this purpose. An "O" ring seated within an annular recess concentric with and open into the cylindrical bore seals against leakage of the tubing pierced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,362 discloses a pressure relief valve having an external substantially-cylindrical valve body, with a bore therethrough positioned, atop the exterior of the pipe. An internal stem portion, which is movable within the bore within the valve body, includes a tip for extruding in through a bore in the wall of the pipe. A piston member housed within the internal movable valve body is movable from a first position locking fluid flow up through the internal body and a second position allowing fluid to enter the internal body and enter a drain port. There is a spring member intermediate the upper portion of the valve head and the internal body for biasing the piston member in a normally closed fluid blocking position. There is also insulation means for housing the external valve and for insulating the valve from direct contact with the fluid flow line.
French Published Patent Application No. 2,378,966 discloses a hydraulic accumulator having a cylindrical body which contains an inflatable bladder. The bladder is inflated with high pressure nitrogen through the charging valve in order to maintain a continuous pressure on the oil in the space outside the bladder. In order to prevent the bladder being forced into the oil outlet pipe when all the oil has been forced out of the accumulator, the pipe is fitted with a valve consisting of a cylindrical plug with transverse holes and normally kept in the open position by a spring. When the lower surface of the bladder reaches the end wall of the accumulator, the plug is pushed downwards so that its dome end is flush with the accumulator internal surface.
Canadian Patent No. 921,735 discloses a tap valve for use with a fluid carrying member. There is a valve body adapted to be connected to the fluid carrying member, a bore in the valve body, a fluid passageway communicating with the bore, and a piercing element movable in the bore and having a passage therethrough. There is an axially movable valve stem in the bore movable in a first direction to engage and cause the piercing element to move in the first direction to pierce said fluid carrying member and in a second direction away from the piercing element. The valve stem is provided with a piercing element engaging surface for sealing the piercing element passage when the valve stem engages the piercing element to prevent fluid flow therethrough. The piercing element can include a tubular member having a circular wall and a pointed end, a first angulated edge connecting the pointed end with a first portion of the circular wall, a second angulated edge extending rearwardly from the pointed end, and a third angulated edge connecting the second angulated edge with a second portion of the circular wall. The first and second angulated edges subtend substantially equal arcs with respect to a line parallel to the axis of the tubular member and passing through the pointed end.